Of Christian Bakers & Muslim Cab Drivers

Ben Brophy objects to a Colorado judge ruling that a baker must make a wedding cake for a same sex couple. The baker refused to make the couple a cake because doing so would violate his religious conscience.

Ben writes that “there is a certain irony to the American Civil Liberties Union fighting against an individual’s right to practice his religious preferences.” Well, not really. A few years ago, Muslim cab drivers working out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were refusing to transport people carrying blind persons with guide dogs on religious grounds. The Muslim drivers also refused to serve people who were carrying duty free alcohol purchased at the airport. When this came to light the ACLU sided with those who were being denied service arguing it was a question of public access. While much of what the ACLU does leaves a great deal to be desired, they have been very consistent on this issue.

I have made this argument before and it bears repeating. In a country built on free enterprise people should not be denied goods and services if they have the money to pay for them. With this in mind, the Christian baker is every bit as wrong to not make a wedding cake for a gay couple as the Muslim cab driver is wrong not to transport passengers who need guide dogs or are carrying a bottle of Beaujolais.